By partnering with local Pacific Northwest roasters, Agora supports the local coffee community, ensuring that everyone involved in the process gets the recognition they deserve and shares in the profits of their hard work. They’re all passionate about creating a high-quality product and know exactly how to do it best! Here are five local roasters we work with and a brief introduction to the start of their coffee journey:
1. Caffé Appassionato
Caffé Appassionato has been a gourmet coffee purveyor serving in the Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, since 1990. Caffé Appassionato translates to “coffee with a passion” in Italian derived from Beethoven’s piano sonata, The Appassionata. Since the late nineties, this roaster’s goal was to produce a smooth tasting, bold body, terrific aroma, and low acidity blends. The definition of Seattle’s taste for coffee is intensely expressed through this renowned neighborhood coffee. This local coffee company pays meticulous attention to quality control ensuring its customers receive only their freshest beans. By partnering with Caffé Appassionato, Agora supports and emulates its customer-centered focus on high-quality products.
2. Caffé Umbria
The Arco Etrusco is a stunning landmark of the Umbrian city in Italy. This location inspired Caffe Umbria’s logo to represent an exceptional line of espresso blends. Coffee indeed runs in the blood of Caffé Umbria roaster and founder Emanuele Bizzarri. His family roots go back to Perugia, Italy, where Emanuele’s grandfather Ornello Bizzarri built the first family roastery in the 1940s. When Emanuele’s family moved to Seattle from Italy, he became the third generation in a family of roasters. He carried the tradition to open up Caffé Umbria—capturing the true essence of Italian-style espresso. By using traditional techniques, they produce an array of delicious coffees that are second to none.
3. Espresso Vivace 
Though we’re based in Seattle, we’ve long been fans of local roaster Espresso Vivace. They roast coffee in small batches and test each batch to ensure quality and consistency—they don’t skimp on quality. Founders David Schomer and Geneva Sullivan have been roasting their Northern Italian-style coffee since 1992. Their passion was to find the mildest arabicas and bringing each bean to a fragrant peak of caramelized sugar. We love their roasts so much that we collaborated with them to roast our own Agora Blend. The name “Espresso Vivace” translates loosely to great enthusiasm and excitement for espresso. We couldn’t have thought of a better name for this roaster who greatly appreciates espresso as a culinary art.
4. Tony’s Coffee
For us, Tony’s Coffee has been a reliable supplier for years. They offer consistent flavor profiles by roasting in small batches, selecting only the best beans they could find worldwide. That’s why they were just named “2021 Roaster of the Year” by Roast Magazine. According to the guidelines, the award is more than just about how a coffee taste; but also includes a dedication to sustainability, promotes employees and community education, and demonstrates a solid commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity. They’ve been putting in the same quality and effort since 1971, when it all started in Bellingham, WA.
5. Victrola Coffee Roasters
Victrola Coffee Roasters dedicates its brand to sourcing, roasting, and brewing fresh coffee that makes your daily consumption delightful. Their focus on sustainability means you’ll never have to sacrifice taste for conscience. Victrola, named after the phonograph of the 1920s, represented the Jazz era’s liveliness, vitality, and fun. This idea translates over when they opened in 2000, in a neighborhood that needed specialty coffee and a place to hang out and meet friends. Their cafés design showcases the vintage jazz era, creating a unique architectural charm. Victrola roasters spend countless hours experimenting with roast profiles and blends for their espresso, and this commitment led them to become a very popular local roaster among the Seattle population.
We are so grateful to be part of a community with so many talented and committed roasters. As coffee lovers and roasters ourselves, we see beyond just the taste and profile but what the roaster stands for. These partnerships make us proud to offer all the great blends to our clients. We love and want to share many more local roasters we partner with, so stay tuned for part two.
While you’re waiting, check out all the local and artisan roasters and blends we offer here! If you’re ready to upgrade your breakroom, please connect with us to get started!